


Close to Heart

by fireweed15



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Community: hetalia_kink, Gen, Historical, Russian History
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-05
Packaged: 2018-02-16 05:25:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2257446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fireweed15/pseuds/fireweed15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Of course he kept the "missing seven" close.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Close to Heart

A lot was lost in 1917. So much of it had been beyond his control, but somehow, even before he could fathom the staggering changes occurring around him and in the future, Russia knew he had to have a hand in protecting these.   
  
In this case, that meant in a small locked chest that he stored on the top shelf of his closet. Every so often, he would remove the chest from its perch and lock himself away in his study to admire them.   
  
The eldest,  _Kurochka s sapfirovym kulonom_ , still looked as lovely as the day Alexander III presented it to Empress Maria. He always made sure to hold this one up and turn it slightly, to let the light catch on the gold and rose-cut diamonds of the hen and the sapphire egg so that they could shine properly.   
  
The next,  _Kheruvim i kolesnitsa_ , required a lot of attention so that her clock could continue to keep accurate time. Russia had spent more hours than he dared think about repairing the delicate gears, but to see the clock working and hear its quiet ticking gave him a deep sense of personal satisfaction, of accomplishment. He tapped the heads of the tiny cherubs, the one holding the egg in the chariot, then the one pulling the chariot, in wordless thanks before returning it to the chest.   
  
The colors of the third egg,  _Nesesser_ —the rubies, diamonds, sapphires and emeralds—were eye-catching, but what Russia loved about this one was its clever design. Not only was it pretty, he'd praised, it was functional vanity case, containing thirteen ladies' toiletries, all of them studded with diamonds. Russia had acquired it in London in 1952, and had nearly wept when he found that all thirteen pieces were still inside.   
  
The fourth egg was called simply  _Rozovato-lilovyy tsvet_ , though its design was far from simple. The egg was formed from ivory and decorated with diamonds and pearls; red, green and white enamels; and watercolors. The beautiful exterior, like all Fabergé eggs, concealed a surprise—in this case, a heart-shaped frame, and this opened into a trefoil; contained in each "leaf" was a portrait, one of Nicholas II, of his wife Alexandra, and of their eldest daughter Olga. The photographs were not unlike ones in Russia's personal albums, and yet he held them dear all the same.   
  
 _Nefritovoye_  was next. The egg was vaguely Roman in its design, and crafted from jade. This egg had see better days, and Russia always meant to find time to get its gold base repaired. At least the diamonds on it were still intact, he tried to console himself. When he swapped  _Nefritovoye_  out for the next egg, it was much more carefully than with the others.   
  
The egg that followed  _Nefritovoye_  was  _Datskiy yubiley_. The photograph of this one never did it justice, Russia always thought. The colors, pale blue and white enamels with gold and diamond adornments, reminded him of a summer sky, or of Heaven. As the name implied, the egg's design reflected more Danish than Russian roots—the Danish royalty's crest and heraldic lions made certain of that—and contained within were small portraits of Christian IX and his wife Louise of Hesse-Kassel, the parents of recipient Dowager Empress Maria. This was the only egg Russia had to hold with both hands, given its size of 229 millimeters.   
  
The last was  _Pamyatnoye Aleksandra III_ , made of platinum and covered with fine white enamel, decorated with gold and studded with diamonds, lending it appearance of cleanliness and wealth fitting of an Emperor. Within was a delicate gold bust of Alexander III—fitting, given that the egg marked the fifteenth anniversary of his passing.   
  
As he returned the last egg to the chest, Russia always found himself asking if it was selfish to keep these eggs hidden from everyone. Maybe it was a good thing he did. He had smiled as he watched the collection of eggs be split up and sent to all corners of the world, to sit on display in museums and in the homes of private collectors. To these collectors and curators, Fabergé's handiwork was a reflection of the history of Imperial Russia and exquisite examples of artisanship—and nothing more.   
  
To Russia, this was highly insulting. More than the history and craftsmanship they embodied, they were heavy with memories of the things he had lost, memories that no one but he could appreciate—of course he kept the "missing seven" close.

**Author's Note:**

> De-anoned form the Hetalia Kink Meme. I went with the Russian translations of the names and the few descriptions I could find, I sincerely apologize for the inaccuracies.


End file.
